Paul Klee had a Twittering machine before Twitter. Arthur Ganson built it.

thefuture of the present

The Long Now of a 10,000 Year Clock

Designed by Curt Karzstark while held in Buchenwald concentration camp. This wonderful cross between a dalek and pepper mill is one of the the most powerfully compact mechanical computers in the world! This four-banger pepper mill can also perform square root calculation with some finessing. To add two numbers together, each must be entered on the […]

Nothing more amazing than the combination of skill and process. At 0:50 & again at 4:22 you see a man hammering a section of the locomotive, listening and observing each blow to determine the hidden qualities and strength. These technicians are the bridge between the medieval master artisan and the modern worker. While they are […]

In 1936 Alan Turing invented a machine that could manipulate symbols on a strip of paper/tape according to a set of rules. This seemingly simple accomplishment (by today’s standard) set the groundwork for all future computer processing and algorithms. Turing never built the machine as the importance of this achievement was in conceiving the theoretical […]

Automata artist Arthur Ganson builds the most amazing little machines. After throwing myself into the whole world of horology and amateur engineering. I’m at a loss as to why his simple wire gears speak to my love of simplicity so much. I want to go home and build a wire clock right now! via Low-Tech […]

What does it feel like to be present? How do we live in the moment? And here is another way to look at time. Still the same iconic round face and the central wheel turning. But this isn’t a daily once around the dial kind of clock. Nope! This clock goes around once a year! […]

Clock One: Winder & Main Differential from The Long Now Foundation on Vimeo. The Clock of the long now is one of the most beautiful examples of modern horological construction and technique. Built with very long timeframe it has no projected end date. This allows them to focus on the ideas and implementation and not […]